Stanford's now sharper at point

Published 4:00 am, Friday, January 27, 1995

STANFORD - The real Jamila Wideman is back, and another NCAA women's basketball championship looks a whole lot closer for the Stanford Cardinal.

Despite its dominance this season, the country's No. 4-ranked team has seemed perhaps a true point guard short of a real shot at its third national title.

Wideman, not fully recovered from an ankle injury sustained in the final regular-season game last season, simply hadn't show her usual speed and savvy and seemed to lack the confidence she often displayed as a freshman.

But the old Wideman returned Thursday night, as Stanford destroyed UCLA, 88-49, before a crowd of 4,652 at Maples Pavilion, stretching the Cardinal's overall record to 15-1, 6-0 in the Pac-10.

Wideman scored 11 points and added eight assists and six steals in 27 minutes of play. The totals for all but assists were season highs.

But it was more her style of play than her numbers that was so important in the Cards' long-range plans.

"She did a great job in transition," coach Tara VanDerveer said. "It was her best game of the year."

VanDerveer knows what a struggle it has been for Wideman to come back from the left ankle injury, which turned into Achilles' tendinitis.

"She was off seven months, and it's definitely showed," the coach said. "Her ankle still bothers her some. But the way she played tonight will help her confidence, and help my confidence in her."

Wideman acknowledged that gimping through the season on a stiff ankle has been frustrating.

"But I feel like I'm improving," the sophomore said.

"It's just a matter of getting my timing and everything back. A game like this will make me much more aggressive, and help my confidence grow."

Wideman, making just her seventh start of the season, directed the Cardinal to an insurmountable halftime lead of 47-15. The second half was pretty much just mop-up time, although Stanford's winning margin was its largest ever over UCLA, topping a 38-point victory at Maples in the 1988-89 season.

The easy win was accomplished despite the absence of leading scorer Kate Starbird, who was held out as a precaution after pulling a groin muscle in practice. VanDerveer said she hopes Starbird can play against USC Saturday night.

Wideman worked brilliantly with off-guard Kate Paye, who had 14 points, as did Anita Kaplan and Bobbie Kelsey. Stanford shot 61.9 percent from the floor, to just 34 percent for UCLA (7-9, 2-5), which also committed 26 turnovers.

"It's pretty obvious we were intimidated a little bit," Bruins coach Kathy Olivier said. "We're a young team as far as experience goes, and it showed. We were just very hesitant in everything we did. We really haven't been like that all year."

Olivier acknowledged that Wideman was a major factor in unsettling the Bruins early.

"She showed a lot of leadership," Olivier said. "She was very feisty, very aggressive. She played like a senior."

But Olivier didn't stop with Wideman. She shuddered at Stanford's other weapons, too.

"They're so deep," she said. "They're always fresh. Their inside game is really scary. And what really scares me is that their freshmen will get better and better." &lt;